This invention relates to a buckle adapted to secure a strap of swimming goggles thereto,
U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,526 issued to Ann Huang on Jan. 13, 1998 discloses a pair of swimming goggles comprising a main frame body, a pair of elastic straps wound through a pair of slots respectively defined in both sides of the main frame body, a pair of strap clamping blocks each adapted to converge upper and lower sections of each strap and a pair of buckles by which one of the paired straps is secured to the other of the paired straps.
Each of the buckles is attached to a first end of each strap and each of the buckles has a plurality of strap guiding holes defined by opposite side edges extending in parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction of the strap and a plurality of partitions extending so as to connect the side edges to each other. The rearmost strap guiding hole of the buckle is formed with a slot opening in the longitudinal direction of the strap. In order to bring the second end of a strap into engagement with buckle which is attached to one end of the other strap, a length of the strap is adjusted utilizing two strap guiding holes lying inwardly adjacent the outermost strap guiding hole and then the second end of the strap is inserted through the slot into the outermost strap guiding hole.
However, in the case of the buckles disclosed in the U.S. Patent, there is a concern that the straps might slip off from the outermost strap guiding holes through the respective slots and slacken when the straps are pulled relatively to the respective buckles.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a buckle for swimming goggles which is designed so that once a strap is secured to the buckle it can not easily slip off therefrom.
According to this invention, there is provided a buckle for a pair of swimming goggles provided in the form of a frame comprising first and second side edges opposed to each other in a longitudinal direction of straps used by said goggles, first and second ends opposed to each other in a direction orthogonal to said longitudinal direction, and a plurality of partitions arranged between said first and second ends to connect said first and second side edges to each other, said first and second side edges and said first and second ends cooperating with said partitions to define a plurality of strap guiding holes arranged in said longitudinal direction, wherein:
one of said first and second side edges partially defining the first outermost one of said strap guiding holes lying adjacent said first end and the other of said first and second side edges partially defining the second outermost one of said strap guiding holes lying adjacent said second end are formed with slots each communicating with the associated of said first and second outermost strap guiding holes having a opening-width dimensioned in said longitudinal direction to be smaller than a width of said strap.
According to one embodiment of this invention, each of said slots has said opening-width progressively reduced from the exterior toward the interior of said slot.
According to another embodiment of this invention, said plurality of strap guiding holes include additional strap guiding holes arranged between said first and second outermost strap guiding holes in the form of intermediate strap guiding holes each defining an opening smaller than those of said first and second outermost strap guiding holes.
According to still another preferred embodiment of this invention, said plurality of strap guiding holes include additional strap guiding holes arranged between said first and second outermost strap guiding holes in the form of intermediate strap guiding holes so that openings defined by these intermediate strap guiding holes are dimensioned to be progressively reduced from the strap guiding holes lying inwardly adjacent said first and second outermost strap guiding holes toward the innermost strap guiding holes, respectively.
According to further another -preferred embodiment of this invention, said first and second side edges are inwardly curved so as to form concaves facing each other.